Black Caps coach Mike Hesson has insisted that his side was not distracted by Brendon McCullum's looming retirement in the first Test against Australia
Kiwis not put off by McCullum retirement
Brendon McCullum's pending departure from international cricket didn't play a part in New Zealand's sub-par first Test loss to Australia, says Kiwis’ coach Mike Hesson.
And his swansong in Christchurch won't become a focal point either.
Skipper McCullum will play his 101st and final Test at Hagley Oval starting on Saturday, with his team trailing 1-0 following their loss to Australia by an innings and 52-runs inside four days at Wellington.
Hesson says the team will have a cap presentation in the lead-up to the Test but otherwise won't pause to reflect on the significance for the 34-year-old.
"At the end of the match, no doubt we'll have a chance to recognise what he's been able to do. But the focus will be very much on the Test match," Hesson said.
The coach countered suggestions that the Black Caps may have been distracted by McCullum’s 100th consecutive Test milestone at the Basin Reserve.
He was honoured in a ceremony soon before play started on day one and within 40 minutes found himself on a green, seaming pitch where he fell without scoring.
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Hesson says that dismissal and the early exit of four other specialist batsmen in the first session couldn't be attributed to lack of focus.
"We had four guys out defending in an hour. I don't think that's a mental error," he said.
"There are times that you have to accept (Australia) put the ball in good areas and if the ball seams, you're going to nick it."
The outgoing skipper’s of match double of 0 and 10 won't affect him this week, Hesson says, with the veteran accustomed to taking a stable approach to form fluctuation.
It is an attitude shared by the team, who have forged a reputation in recent series under McCullum for bouncing back from a slow start.
"When we win, we don't get too high, when we lose we don't get too down on ourselves and that's the reason we've been so consistent in recent times," Hesson said.
"We'll be fit and firing by the time we get to Christchurch, no doubt about that."
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Asked to highlight a positive from the Test, Hesson singled out newcomer Henry Nicholls, regarded as a logical replacement for McCullum in the Test middle order.
Standing in for the injured Ross Taylor, Nicholls struck 59 in the second innings, the highest score by a No.4 batsman on Test debut for New Zealand.
"Henry showed he belonged. He was very composed and went about things well," Hesson said.